Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Application Changes Copyrighted
February 5, 2018
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 12.
ITEM TITLE: Sustainable Dubuque CommunityGrant-Application
Changes
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval of changes to the
application process for the Sustainable Dubuque
Community Grant program to be effective for the April 1,
2018 deadline.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program City Manager Memo
Updated Application Process-NNM Memo
Staff Recommendation Staff Memo
Sustainable Dubuque Community GrantApplication Supporting Documentation
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program: Updated Application
Process
DATE: January 30, 2018
Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach recommends City Council approval of changes to
the application process for the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant program, to be
effective for the April 1, 2018 deadline.
Changes to the application include the following:
1 . Addition of questions related to equity, geographic location of the project, and
relationship to City Council goals. These questions are recommended by the
City's "Cash OuY' equity subcommittee, who has been working to better align all
grant funds that the City disperses.
2. Updates to the scoring process to simplify the process for commissioners. This
scoring rubric can be shared with applicants to better advise regarding the
criteria they will be judged upon.
3. Addition of three preference points (of a total possible 33 points) for projects that
address one of three Resilient Community Advisory Commission priority areas.
While applications will still be accepted, and awarded, for any project that
addresses one of the twelve Sustainable Dubuque principles, the intention of this
preference is to align the Resilient Community Advisory Commission's
grantmaking ability with their strategic priorities, the STAR Community rating
system, and the Imagine Dubuque Comprehensive Plan. FY18-19 priorities
would include:
a. Projects that increase the social capital or capacity of Dubuque
neighborhoods
b. Projects that increase access to healthy local foods, especially in
Dubuque's food deserts
c. Projects that help to meet the 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action &
Resiliency Plan, a plan to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas
emissions
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
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TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program: Updated Application
Process
DATE: January 29, 2018
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to recommend changes to the application process for the
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant program, to be effective for the April 1, 2018
deadline.
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the City Council approved the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant program
to catalyze community leaders in the Sustainable Dubuque initiative. The grants are
available to any residents, non-profits or businesses who propose a project that
addresses at least one of the twelve sustainability principles and includes an element of
community engagement or education in their project.
Since then, sixteen rounds of grants have been approved for disbursement in the
community. Many successful projects have been completed. An update is being
recommended by the Resilient Community Advisory Commission (RCAC) to the
application process to better reflect City Council goals and priorities, as well as
recommendations that have been made by this commission regarding the impact of the
program.
DISCUSSION
Attached for your review and approval is an updated Sustainable Dubuque Community
Grant application. Care was taken to maintain the simplicity of the application so that
anyone could apply for the grant, regardless of writing experience. Changes to the
application include the following:
1. Addition of questions related to equity, geographic location of the project, and
relationship to City Council goals. These questions are recommended by the
City's "Cash OuY' equity subcommittee, who has been working to better align all
grant funds that the City disperses.
2. Updates to the scoring process to simplify the process for commissioners.
This scoring rubric can be shared with applicants to better advise regarding the
criteria they will be judged upon.
3. Addition of three preference points (of a total possible 33 points) for projects
that address one of three RCAC priority areas. While applications will still be
accepted, and awarded, for any project that addresses one of the twelve
Sustainable Dubuque principles, the intention of this preference is to align the
RCAC's grantmaking ability with their strategic priorities, the STAR Community
rating system, and the Imagine Dubuque comprehensive plan. FY18-19 priorities
would include:
a. Projects that increase the social capital or capacity of Dubuque
neighborhoods
b. Projects that increase access to healthy local foods, especially in
Dubuque's food deserts
c. Projects that help to meet the 50°k by 2030 Community Climate Action
& Resiliency Plan, a plan to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas
emissions
The recommended grant application changes would go into effect for the April 1 , 2018
deadline. I will be hosting a grantwriting workshop to share the changes, provide
additional information about the added concepts, and provide technical assistance to
potential applicants.
As part of the grant update, a pertormance report will also be developed. Currently,
grantees submit a free-form report detailing the impact of their work. While this is
helpful to tell the story of grant impact, it would also be helpful to gather some
standardized information, such as number of attendees at events, demographics of
attendees, etc. This data is intended to be collected, moving forward, from all City
grantees, so that we will better be able to show the impact of our investments.
REQUESTED ACTION
I respectfully recommend City Council approval of the attached, updated Sustainable
Dubuque Community Grant application.
2
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What would you do with $2,500 to make a more Sustainable Dubuque?
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program
In 2006, a community task force was created to define a vision to make Dubuque a more Sustainable
community. After nearly two years of work, they delivered to the City Council and greater community this
definition of sustainability:
Dubuque is a viable, livable and equitable community. We embrace economic prosperity, environmental
integrity, and social/cultural vibrancy to create a sustainable legacy for generations to come."
Helping to define that vision are 12 sustainability principles: Regional Economy, Smart Energy Use,
Resource Management, Community Design, Green Buildings, Healthy Local Foods, Community Knowledge,
Reasonable Mobility, Healthy Air, Clean Water, Community Health &Safety and Native Plants &Animals.
For more information on the Sustainable Dubuque initiative, please visit www.sustainabledubuaue.orq.
Since their work, numerous community-led initiatives have helped us move toward our goals, including
programs led by the public and private sector and actions taking place in individual homes and businesses.
About the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program
The goal of the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program is to provide small amounts of funding to
assist non-profits, businesses, clubs, organizations, and groups of passionate residents in implementing their
ideas to make Dubuque a more sustainable place and to support community leadership in the Sustainable
Dubuque initiative.
Grants may be awarded to any group of individuals to implement a project that helps to achieve the
Sustainable Dubuque vision and includes a component of community education and/or engagement.
Amount of Award
Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of$2,500 per project.
Grant Availability& Timeline
Grants can be submitted at any time during the year, although they will be reviewed based on bi-annual
deadlines available at www.citvofdubuaue.orq/sustainabilitv. Applications will be reviewed by the Resilient
Community Advisory Commission, and recipients will be notified of their status within four weeks of the grant
deadline.
Grants will be awarded to all worthy projects during bi-annual reivews, and so money will be available on a
"first come-first serve" basis beginning July 1 each year to coincide with the City's fiscal year. This means
that if all funding is allocated at that July review, new funds would not be available for this program until July
1 of the following year.
Grant Guidelines
1. Grant must address at least one of the Sustainable Dubuque principles.
2. Grant must include an education and/or engagement component.
3. Any marketing, advertising or educational materials produced should acknowledge Sustainable Dubuque
support by including the Sustainable Dubuque logo. We are happy to assist with this item.
Grant Preference&Alignment With City Council Priorities
All grant applications that address at least one of the twelve Sustainable Dubuque principles will be
accepted. During 2018, the Resilient Community Advisory Commission has identified the following areas as
priorities for grant making based on the results of the annual City Council goal-setting and Imagine Dubuque
comprehensive planning processes, and Dubuque's STAR Communities rating:
1. Projects that increase the social capital and capacity of Dubuque neighborhoods
2. Projects that increase access to healthy local foods, especially in Dubuque's food deserts
3. Projects that help to meet the 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan, a plan
to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions
Projects that address one of these priorities will receive three preference points, of a total of 33 available
points, during the scoring process.
Eligibility
Any group of individuals located within Dubuque city limits is eligible to apply. "Group" can refer to a non-
profit, business, club, organization, neighborhood association, or group of individuals, provided one
individual is willing to be the primary contact who is responsible for fiscal interactions and measurement of
impact.
Prior applications: Applicants who have received funding are not eligible for additional funding for one
calendar year from the date of their award. Groups who were unsuccessful in previous applications may
compete in future rounds with the project originally proposed, or with new projects.
Target Audience
Proposals must target, at a minimum, residents or businesses located in Dubuque. It is acceptable to target
individuals in addition to this audience, such as Dubuque County residents. Preference may be given for
proposed projects that target a traditionally unengaged population.
Reimbursement Method
The preference of the City is to reimburse one grant recipient for approved expenses following the
completion of the project. All receipts and a copy of the required performance report must be submitted in
order to receive the final payment. If this financial arrangement is a challenge, please contact Assistant City
Manager Cori Burbach to discuss other financing options. Inability to pay for reimbursable grant expenses
should not be a barrier to applying, and we are able to work with recipients to identify alternatives.
Required Measurement of Impact/Success
We want to share your successes and lessons learned with othersl One of the requirements of this program
is measurement of the impact of your project. Recipients will be required to complete a performance report
before receiving their final grant reimbursement.
In addition to the required reporting metrics, applicants are encouraged to define your own measure of
success in question#9 of the application. You can tell your story through numbers, stories, photos, or video.
This could mean calculating the greenhouse gases avoided when individuals biked instead of driving their
cars to an event, or asking attendees at an event to complete a pre- and post-survey to identify increased
knowledge of a topic. We will work with you to collect this information, and final reimbursement will not be
made until this information has been received. Let us know if you would like assistance in measuring your
impact.
Contact Information
Completed applications should be sent to cburbach(a�citvofdubuaue.orq by 11:59 p.m. on the relevant
deadline. For more information or to ask any questions you have, please contact Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach at cburbach(a�citvofdubuaue.or or 563-589-4110.
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We are excited to read about your ideal The questions below will help us better understand what you want to
do, why and with whom. Please be as specific as possible.
Project name:
Lead community group/organization(s):
Project leader: Phone: Email:
Additional contact: Phone: Email:
Please check the location or service area of your project:
� Downtown ❑ Point Neighborhood
❑ North End ❑ South End
❑ Hill/College ❑ West End
❑ Other:
1. Please answer the following questions:What is your idea?Who is your idea going to effect?When and
where will it take place? How will it be funded?Staffed? Kept alive? Please be as specific as possible. (300
word maximum)
2. a.Which of the Sustainable Dubuque principles does your project support? (check all that apply.)
Regional Economy Smart Energy Use Resource Management
Community Design Green Buildings Healthy Local Foods
Community Knowledge Reasonable Mobility Healthy Air
Clean Water Native Plants &Animals Community Health & Safety
b. Tell us how your project addresses the principle(s) checked above. (100 word maximum)
3. Which one of the City Council's Goals does your project best address? (choose only one)
❑ Robust Local Economy: Diverse Businesses and Jobs With Economic Prosperity
❑ Vibrant Community: Healthy&Safe
❑ Livable Neighborhoods and Housing: Great Places to Live
❑ Financially Responsible, High Performance City Organization: Sustainable, Equitable and Effective
Service Delivery
❑ Sustainable Environment: Preserving and Enhancing Natural Resources
❑ Partnership for a Better Dubuque: Building our Community that is Viable and Equitable
❑ Diverse Arts, Culture, Parks and Recreation: Experiences and Activities
❑ Connected Community: Equitable Transportation, Technology, Infrastructure and Mobility
4. Who is your project going to serve?Who will participate in carrying out this project? Please be as specific
as possible. (50 word maximum)
5. How will your project plan to address diversity, equity and inclusion? Consider incorporating this lens into
project planning, marketing, and execution. (100 word maximum)
6. a. How will you include community engagement in your project? (100 word maximum)
b. How will you include community education in your project? (100 word maximum)
7. Budget: How much money are you requesting? (maximum of$2,500)? Please provide a brief description.
❑ Supplies:
❑ Facility rental:
❑ Marketing/advertising:
❑ Educational materials:
❑ Food:
❑ Other:
❑ Total amount requested:
8. Match: What community assets will you contribute or use for this project? Please provide a brief
description.
❑Financial match:
❑Individual volunteer hours:
❑Organization or association involvement:
❑Connection to a traditionally unengaged or marginalized population:
❑Donation of space, equipment or supples:
❑Partnership or collaboration with another event or initiative happening in the community:
9. How will you know your project is a success? All grantees will be required to complete a performance
report summarizing basic impacts, such as number of people reached through the project. How else will you
measure impact of your project? (100 word maximum)
10. Tell us about any experience you've had impacting your community. If appropriate, please describe any
prior community based projects you or your group has worked on, including target audience, method and
results. (150 word maximum)
9. If your proposal is not funded, can we still share your story with others with the hope that we can find
someone else in the community to help you achieve your project?
❑Yes
❑ No